1. Field of the Invention
This invention relates generally to a method for achieving weight loss utilizing a novel line of food products that replace existing products. More particularly, the present method of weight reduction allows the dieter to eat certain naturally available food items in open quantity while replacing restricted food items by the novel line of food products described herein.
2. Description of the Prior Art
Various dieting methods are known for the treatment of obesity, diabetes, high cholesterol and high TriGlycerides. It is well known in the medical community that the first step to follow for dieting is to reach the body normal weight. It is also well known that weight reduction in the normal range of body weight prevents the occurrence of most clinical complications of obesity. Furthermore, as clinical symptoms and the general condition of diabetic patients improves through dieting many diabetics become less reliant on diabetic medications.
Weight control and proper diet also help in the treatment of high blood cholesterol. Although high blood fat is a hereditary factor in most instances, proper diet is effective in improving over 80% of high blood cholesterol cases.
Current dieting methods always advise to first start by classical dietary measures. Only when classical dietary measures proves to be ineffective are medicines and drugs needed.
Many overweight patients rely on medicines that are used as appetite suppressants, metabolic rate enhancers, etc. Almost all of these medicines prove to be ineffective in the long term or exhibit side effects such as nervousness, palpitation, insomnia, etc. These side effects limit medicinal use to no more than an encouraging factor to start a diet. Such medicines include, but are not limited to dietary supplement compositions comprising St. Johns Wart (hypericin), Mahuang (Ephedra Sinica or Ephedrine), caffeine and aspirin.
Many patients not satisfied with the current methods of weight loss rely on surgical procedures. These procedures are dangerous and unsuitable for the majority of the overweight population. Athletic exercise has also become widespread in the fight to lose weight, however exercise without proper diet has proven to be ineffective in reducing weight.
Other methods for dieting and weight loss include fad diets (one sort of food item diet), only fruits diet, creams, ear rings, belts, acupuncture, sauna and steam baths, tread mill, drugs and medicines, herbs and classical diet food.
Many of the prior art methods of dieting suffer from unpleasant side effects such as hunger, dizziness, fatigue and cold extremities. Furthermore, prior art methods of dieting deprive the dieter from eating foods such as breads, sweets, pasta, fatty meat products, and delicious fruits.
Present methods of dieting have had very limited success. The following summarizes the reasons for this.
Calorie Reduction Method:
Difficulties in applying it in real practice:
Most people face the problem of calculating the amount of calories needed and caloric expenditure, and the caloric contents of food they take. Even if they were capable of knowing the caloric value for many food items, it is impossible to regulate so as to take the given amount of calories throughout the day. If they manage to do this on some days they will fail on other days because of different social events. Following rigid diet prescriptions will usually result in boredom and the patient returning to his/her old food habits. Because the problem of overweight and dieting is a lifelong problem, this will be only a temporary solution. The dieter will usually lose weight then regain it within the 3-4 weeks after resuming his/her ordinary life routine.
The reduced calorie food: like skim milk, low fat food:
Many of these food products are available in most countries. Although overweight people choose only to buy such products, their problem of overweight is increasing. The reason is that they cannot estimate precisely the amount of such food that is suitable for them. They eat these foods in amounts enough for producing satiety. Because reduced fat foods are less satiating than full fat foods they eat double the quantity of ordinary food, thinking it is safe and devoid of any fattening effect. This results in eating the same amount of calories by eating twice the amount of food.
The problem of tolerance and plateau:
Using low calorie diets for a long period of time (i.e., more that 3-4 weeks) leads to the formation of low gear calorie burning. Human beings reduce their need of calories by several compensation processes, including reducing the tendency to activity, decreasing skin temperature, constipation, secreting less fat burning hormones, etc. This will lead to the reduction of caloric need by 25-40%. This reduction in the body weight itself leads to further decrease in caloric need. The total decrease in caloric need achieved will compensate for the amount of caloric intake reduced. This will result in a halt in body weight loss process known as Plateau. Although the dieter eats no more than 50-60% of his ordinary food, no further weight loss will occur. Usually patients then return back to their old habits of eating and gain back all the weight lost.
The problem of malnutrition:
Most low calorie dieters suffer from the problem of malnutrition during or after their weight loss course. This is because reducing calorie intake by 40-60% is accompanied in most cases by a decrease in the total amount of food taken by the same ratio (i.e., 40-60%). The amount of nutrients taken will be reduced in proportion to this ratio. This means that the dieter will ingest 40-60% less nutrients including protein, essential fatty acids, minerals and vitamins. This long period of very low fat intake will lead to a severe decrease in the absorption of fat soluble vitamins and the formation of free radicals which may be responsible for premature senility and dystrophic changes in the skin and eyes. Free radical formation has also been linked to causing cancer.
The problem of hypercholestrieamia:
Patients suffering from high cholesterol need to eat more unsaturated fatty acids available in vegetable oils. Some are not capable of doing this because of the fear of a dramatic increase in caloric intake. This results in patients having to be treated by more complicated, dangerous, and to a wide extent, less effective methods such as drugs and medicines.
Any medically accepted diet should allow for all kinds of food and nutrients to be consumed. Omitting one food component has very dangerous results both psychological and physical. For example, in an Atkin diet omitting carbohydrate intake means the avoidance of intake of fruits, vegetables and grains. This will lead to lack of fiber, vitamins and minerals, that can cause health problems such as constipation, electrolytes disturbances, and dramatic increases in blood cholesterol. In fad diets (one-item diets) there will be the danger of protein loss and deficiency with very dangerous complications such as hair loss, muscle degeneration, and heart arrest.